10 Facts About Atahualpa Yupanqui

Atahualpa Yupanqui is considered one of the most important Argentine folk musicians of the 20th century.

Atahualpa Yupanqui's father was a mestizo of Quechua and Basque origins, while his mother was born in the Basque country.

Atahualpa Yupanqui's family moved to the city of Tucuman in northwestern Argentina when he was nine.

Atahualpa Yupanqui became politically active and joined the Communist Party of Argentina.

In 1935, Atahualpa Yupanqui paid his first visit to Buenos Aires; his compositions were growing in popularity, and he was invited to perform on the radio.

Atahualpa Yupanqui broke with the Communist Party, which made it easier for him to book radio performances.

Atahualpa Yupanqui returned regularly to Argentina and appeared in Argentinisima II in 1973, but these visits became less frequent after Jorge Videla and his military dictatorship came to power in 1976.

In February 1968, Atahualpa Yupanqui was named a knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, in honor of his 18 years of work enriching the literature of the French nation.

In 1989, the University of Nanterre, France, commissioned Atahualpa Yupanqui to write the lyrics of a cantata to commemorate the bicentenary of the French Revolution.

Atahualpa Yupanqui died in Nimes, France in 1992 at the age of 84; his remains were cremated and dispersed on his beloved Colorado Hill on 8 June 1992.